Wednesday, January 02, 2013

  • Wednesday, January 02, 2013
  • Anonymous
Guest post by Challah Hu Akbar, aka Challah & CHA

***

The following are excerpts from Israeli Intelligence and al-Qaeda by Shlomo Shpiro.
Analysis of all al-Qaeda cells arrested in Israel so far shows four common characteristics which made them vulnerable to Israeli intelligence detection and interception: their young age; the influence of Internet propaganda and their reliance on Internet communication; their financial and technical limitations; and their separation from mainstream secular Palestinian terror groups. Almost all members of the various cells were young men in their twenties, who had become increasingly religious, and were known as extremists within their communities. Most were very influenced by al-Qaeda’s online Internet propaganda and spent much time online, reading the preachings of radical clerics, and accumulating knowledge about bombmaking. But their enthusiasm for terrorism was not matched by technical or financial abilities. Most cells did not possess the financial means of acquiring arms or explosives on the black market, and thus expended much of their energies improvising weapons and primitive bombs. They received no support, whether money or weapons, from the secular Palestinian terror groups, which reject al-Qaeda’s ideology and the independence of its cells. These vulnerabilities gave the Israeli intelligence community powerful tools to use in preventing al-Qaeda attacks inside Israel. Through the use of human sources within Arab communities and extensive monitoring of Internet activities, some cells were discovered and their members arrested. Faced with Israeli intelligence successes, and unable to carry out effective attacks inside Israel, al-Qaeda operatives increasingly turned to launching cross-border attacks into Israel from the neighboring Arab states, where they enjoyed a wider operational freedom.
And
Three lessons can be learned from a decade of confrontation between Israeli intelligence and al-Qaeda, lessons which are applicable to many other countries as well. The first is the vulnerability of local al-Qaeda cells due to their reliance on the Internet and other forms of digital communication. Extensive intelligence monitoring of radical jihadist Websites and communications is a powerful tool in the counterterrorism arsenal against al-Qaeda. The second lesson is the crucial importance of ‘‘tactical’’ intelligence cooperation between countries, not only in sharing information but also in ensuring that such an exchange of information is rapid enough to be relevant. The al-Qaeda threats can be managed only by constant and effective intelligence exchange, which must be adapted to fit the changes in threat levels and types. Rapid information exchange enables the prevention of terror attacks, while slower exchange often brings only outdated information of little operational value. The third lesson is the growing danger of home-grown al-Qaeda cells, young people who are attracted by al-Qaeda’s online propaganda to such an extent that they form small, independent cells and are willing to commit terror attacks. While effective intelligence work can often intercept and prevent large attacks, preventing the formation of such small cells with little or no active footprint until they actually begin violent action is almost impossible. But, over time, increased Internet monitoring and human sources inside Muslim religious communities do provide effective, though imperfect, solutions to this threat.  
Political changes in Egypt and the ousting of the Mubarak regime in early 2011 resulted in a general weakening of the Egyptian government’s authority in the Sinai Peninsula. Bedouin tribes in this lawless region, already making millions of dollars from smuggling weapons across the border into Gaza, have now become arms suppliers of the whole region. In the Sinai, the black market in arms is expanding rapidly and the weapons offered for sale include not only assault rifles and ammunition but also heavy rockets, explosives, anti-tank weapons, mortars, and even ground-to-air missiles which disappeared from Libya during the anti-Gaddafi revolution. In July 2011, the former Head of the Shabak, Avi Dichter, warned that the Sinai had turned from a region of arms smuggling to a region of arms transfers, since the lack of any effective Egyptian police presence makes it unnecessary for the Bedouins to even bother hiding the shipments of heavy weapons being sold to any terror group with enough cash and a truck to carry them out. Israeli intelligence has been able to monitor some of the arms smuggled out of Libya and warn the Egyptians. In late August 2011, Egyptian border guards intercepted a large shipment of heavy weapons near the border with Libya, which may have included SA-7 anti-aircraft missiles. In the hands of an al-Qaeda cell, such missiles would create a severe threat to Israeli civilian and military aircraft flying over the entire region. This threat prompted the Israeli government to speed up the construction of a border fence with Egypt along the entire Israeli–Egyptian border. That border remains the most vulnerable region for future al-Qaeda attacks against Israel. How the revolutions in Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya, and the uprising in Syria, will impact the presence and activities of al-Qaeda in the Middle East and on the level of support they gain within the populations of the region remains to be seen.
  • Wednesday, January 02, 2013
  • Anonymous
Guest post by Challah Hu Akbar, aka Challah & CHA

***

Earlier today I mentioned a recent Fatah march near Bethlehem, where Fatah members were seen wielding axes, knives, rifles and mock-rockets.

Here is a recent Channel 2 report with English subtitles that looks at Hamas in the West Bank.
  • Wednesday, January 02, 2013
  • Anonymous
Guest post by Challah Hu Akbar, aka Challah & CHA

***

CHALLAH @ Ynet
A video posted online shows dozens of veiled men taking part in a march marking 48 years since Fatah's inception. The men are seen marching at the Dheisheh refugee camp in Bethlehem carrying knives, axes, clubs and rifles. 
Two men were also seen carrying a rocket model. Palestinian security forces were not present at the scene. The march was a rare sight in the West Bank which has seen very few Fatah rallies in the past few years. 
It is possible that the Palestinian security forces were aware of the march but decided to "turn a blind eye." In the past, the forces prevented similar rallies both by Fatah and Hamas.
Meanwhile, according to a new report from Palestinian Media Watch, Fatah Facebook pages are inciting terror against Israel and its citizens. The report only appears in Hebrew as of now, but Israel Hayom has an English summary.
  • Wednesday, January 02, 2013
  • Anonymous

Guest post by Challah Hu Akbar, aka Challah & CHA

***

CHALLAH @ Reuters
At least 60,000 people have died in Syria's conflict, U.N. Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay said on Wednesday, citing an "exhaustive" U.N.-commissioned study. 
Over five months of analysis, researchers cross-referenced seven sources to compile a list of 59,648 individuals reported killed between March 15, 2011, and Nov. 30, 2012. 
"Given there has been no let-up in the conflict since the end of November, we can assume that more than 60,000 people have been killed by the beginning of 2013," Pillay said. "The number of casualties is much higher than we expected, and is truly shocking."
The average death toll per day, based upon this data, between March 15, 2011, and November 30, 2012, would be approximately 95 people per day.

UPDATE: The full report can be read here.
  • Wednesday, January 02, 2013
  • Anonymous
From Ian:

***
Expert: Israel Has an Historic Right to Judea and Samaria
"Dr. Alan Baker, an expert on international law and a member of the committee headed by Judge Edmond Levi recommending the extension of Israeli law to Jewish towns in Judea and Samaria, said at a conference discussing the matter Tuesday night that Israel would be fully in its rights to do so.” 
Extremism unchecked in schools, secret briefing reveals
More than 100 independent faith schools may be radicalising students, the Department of Education has warned in a secret memo which admits that officials are struggling to tackle extremism in state and private schools. "The strategy also reported that a minority of independent faith schools had been “actively promoting views that are contrary to British values, such as intolerance of other cultures and gender inequality” and had “allowed extremist views to be expressed by staff, visitors or pupils.” The document said there had been concerns that madrassahs – after-school religious classes attached to mosques - were promoting a highly conservative version of Islam and spreading extremist views, particularly against non-Muslims. It estimated that 100,000 Muslim children attended such schools." 
IDF Blog: 5 Remarkable Stories of 2012, As Told By IDF Soldiers
This past year was full of many challenges for the IDF. Our soldiers faced many threats, from terrorist agents on Israel’s borders to rocket fire targeting civilians. Here are some of most remarkable stories of 2012, as reflected upon by our soldiers. 
Arab soldier hides service from neighbours
Samir, a Muslim Arab, hides his uniform and weapon from his neighbors, but says he's proud to be an IDF combat soldier "Samir joined the Tavor Battalion nine months ago. "To my delight my commanding officers understood me and my situation and let me go on leave on weekends," he told Yedioth Ahronoth. His comrades were equally supportive. "Even though they are only kids, 18 years old, we have developed a true friendship," Samir says. He stresses he has never encountered racism." 
West Bank village erupts after undercover soldiers arrest Islamic Jihad activists
Rubber bullets and tear gas reportedly used in clashes; army says operation carried out to stop terror attack "A raid by Israeli soldiers disguised as vegetable vendors to seize members of a terror group sparked intense clashes in the northern West Bank Tuesday. Residents in the town of Tamoun said youths tossed stones and bottles at Israeli troops, while the soldiers responded with rubber bullets." 
2012's Top Ten on The Commentator
This year's top ten articles on The Commentator include topics such as atheism in Pakistan, the Leveson Inquiry, the BBC and Israel in the media 
CIF Watch: CiF attacks anti-Hagel war agitators: Israel lobby, bond dealers & arms manufacturers
"Hagel, a far-right Republican hostile to abortion rights, gay rights and civil rights, and who has come under fire for his views on Israel, the Middle East and the Islamist regime in Tehran, has strangely become a progressive cause celeb among the Guardian-style left."
CAMERA: Prompts AP Correction on Construction Materials for Gaza

MEMRI: Egyptian Cleric Mahmoud Al-Masri: When the Mahdi Comes, There Will Not be a single Jew left VIDEO & Egyptian DePaul University Professor Mahmoud Cherif Bassiouni Supports Camp David Accords and Says: The Palestinians Always Miss Historic Opportunities VIDEO

Israeli vets formulate new vaccine for dogs
A serendipitous lab discovery led to a breakthrough vaccine for a fatal tick-borne disease. Now investors are sought to take it commercial. "Dr. Shimon Harrus did not intend to find the world’s first vaccine against canine monocytic ehrlichiosis (CMT), a sometimes fatal tick-borne disease in dogs. Instead, he was attempting to determine how long ticks must be attached to a dog’s fur in order to transmit CMT." 
Intel offers a million bucks for app ‘game-changers,’ using tech developed in Haifa
A ‘perceptual computing’ platform will utilize cameras, sensors, and microphones to enable devices to learn what you need and give it to you "The new approach, called “perceptual computing,” refers to equipping PCs, laptops, and other Intel-branded and partnered devices to become “context aware.” Instead of passively waiting for you to enter data and “teach” the device, a perceptual computing-equipped device will use its built in hardware and software to “learn” ways that make users’ lives easier.”
  • Wednesday, January 02, 2013
  • Anonymous

Guest post by Challah Hu Akbar, aka Challah & CHA

***

Back in March, Israel’s Knesset “passed a law banning the use of underweight models in advertising.”

On Tuesday, the law went into effect.
Israel's new law banning skinny models has again brought up an uncomfortable topic to the table for the fashion industry, which has long been criticized for seeming to promote unnatural thinness as beauty standard. And once again, countries are divided as to how to deal with the issue of too-skinny models, by law or with other means. 
Israel's law, which went into effect Tuesday, bans models with a body-mass index—a calculation based on height and weight—of less than 18.5 from appearing in advertisements. According to that BMI standard, a female model who is 5 feet, 8 inches tall can weigh no less than 119 pounds. The law also requires publications to disclose when they use altered images of models to make the women and men appear even thinner than they really are. 
The law's supporters in Israel said they hoped it would encourage the use of more healthful models in local advertising.
The law, according to the Jerusalem Post, was initiated by then-Kadima MK Rachel Adatto, and co-sponsored by Likud-Beytenu MK Danny Danon.

In addition to this law, “a law to ban the import or sale of animal-tested products [also] went into effect in Israel” on Tuesday.
The law bans the import, marketing and sale of cosmetics, toiletries or detergents that were tested on animals during the manufacturing process. 
The law follows guidelines set by the European Union in 2004, and makes exceptions for items that are considered medicinal products.

Tuesday, January 01, 2013

  • Tuesday, January 01, 2013
  • Anonymous
Guest post by Challah Hu Akbar, aka Challah & CHA

***

CHALLAH @ Reuters
An Egyptian satirist who made fun of President Mohamed Mursi on television will be investigated by prosecutors following an accusation that he undermined the leader's standing, a judicial source said on Tuesday. Bassem Youssef's case will increase worries about freedom of speech in the post-Hosni Mubarak era, especially when the country's new constitution includes provisions criticized by rights activists for, among other things, forbidding insults 
Youssef rose to fame following the uprising that swept Mubarak from power in February 2011 with a satirical online programme that was compared with Jon Stewart's Daily Show. He has since had his own show on Egyptian television and mocked Mursi's repeated use of the word "love" in his speeches by starting one of his programmes with a love song, holding a red pillow with the president's face printed on it. 
The prosecutor general ordered an investigation into a formal complaint against Youssef by an Islamist lawyer. The complaint accuses him of "insulting" Mursi, an Islamist backed by the Muslim Brotherhood, and "undermining his standing".
Here is the video from Youssef's appearance on the Daily Show.

The Daily Show with Jon StewartMon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Exclusive - Bassem Youssef Extended Interview Pt. 1
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full EpisodesPolitical Humor & Satire BlogThe Daily Show on Facebook
The Daily Show with Jon StewartMon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Exclusive - Bassem Youssef Extended Interview Pt. 2
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full EpisodesPolitical Humor & Satire BlogThe Daily Show on Facebook
  • Tuesday, January 01, 2013
  • Anonymous
Guest post by Challah Hu Akbar, aka Challah & CHA

***

CHALLAH @ The Times of Israel 
A senior Egyptian official who also serves as an adviser to President Mohammed Morsi on Tuesday expressed the opinion that Israel would not be around in 10 years. The remark by Essam al-Erian, the deputy head of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party, was an attempt to explain a previous statement to the effect that Jews who once lived in Egypt should return to their home country and leave Israel to the Palestinians.  
“There are people in Palestine who occupied it, and those occupiers have prior homelands,” Erian wrote on his Facebook page. The quotes were cited by the London-based pan-Arab daily A-Sharq Al-Awsat. 
Israel, he claimed would cease to exist within the next decade. “There won’t be a thing called Israel anymore; only Palestine, and it’ll contain Jews, Muslims, Christians and Druze, and all of the people who lived there to begin with,” he said. 
“Anyone who wants to stay will stay as a Palestinian citizen.” Thus, he explained, “all of those who occupied it” — including Jewish former residents of Egypt – “will have to return to their homelands.”
The Washington Institute has a short biography on Erian.
Erian was a founding member of Islamic Student Action at Cairo University, as well as student union leader during the early 1970s. He was elected president of the General Union of Students of Egyptian University and also served as secretary of the cultural committee in the medical students’ union in Cairo (1972–1977). In 1981, he was arrested alongside several other members of Egypt’s Islamist groups, tried in a military court, and released a year later. In 1986, he was elected to the board of directors of the Egyptian doctors’ syndicate. In 1987, he was elected to the People’s Assembly, becoming the youngest parliamentarian in modern Egyptian history. In 1995, he was imprisoned along with many others for his membership in the Muslim Brotherhood. He was also jailed in 2005 after he hinted that he might run for president, in 2006 for his participation in protests, in 2007 for his leadership role in the Brotherhood, and in January 2011 at the height of the anti-Mubarak revolt. Following Mubarak’s ouster, Erian played a leading role in establishing the Freedom and Justice Party and was named its vice chairman. In the 2011 parliamentary elections, he won a seat in the People’s Assembly and was named chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee. He speaks fluent English and often addresses the U.S. media. 
  • Tuesday, January 01, 2013
  • Anonymous
Guest post by Challah Hu Akbar, aka Challah & CHA


***


Back in May, “very dangerous” Israeli candy was discovered in the Lebanese town of Ain el-Hilweh.

It now appears that another member of the Zionist Food Brigade has infiltrated Lebanon.
A Lebanese shopper discovered several food items made in Israel in one of Lebanon’s largest retailers Tuesday. While shopping at Spinneys in the coastal city of Sidon, a man, who preferred to remain anonymous, discovered a bag of three kinds of peppers made in Israel. 
He immediately contacted local authorities who in turn contacted the Lebanese Army. Members of military intelligence and police arrived to Spinneys to discover 13 similar bags that have the word “Israel” printed on the sale tag. 
…The case was then referred to the military judiciary for investigation into how the products made it through the customs department at the port or the airport. 
Spinneys had a similar incident almost ten years ago when shoppers discovered mugs made in Israel being sold at the retailer.
  • Tuesday, January 01, 2013
  • Elder of Ziyon
My father, z"l, passed away last night.

I will not be blogging for at least 8 or 9 days.

Monday, December 31, 2012

  • Monday, December 31, 2012
  • Elder of Ziyon
From Times of Israel today:
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas rang in the New Year Monday night by declaring that 2013 would be the year that saw Palestinian independence.
April, 2010:
Citing Mahatma Gandhi, Palestinian Premier Salam Fayyad has said his people would not tolerate injustice after enduring decades of Israeli occupation and predicted an independent Palestinian state by August 2011.
December 31, 2001:
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has predicted that 2002 will bring independence to the Palestinians.

Mr Arafat delivered his year-end speech on Palestinian television after thousands of Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip took to the streets to hold rallies and to bury those killed a day earlier in confrontations with Israeli troops.

The Palestinian leader has made similar forecasts for the past several years, when ongoing peace negotiations with Israel offered the prospect of a resolution to decades of conflict in the Middle East.
May, 1996:
Arafat also predicted that an independent Palestinian state would be created by the end of this century, saying, "It is coming. No one can hide the sun with his fingers."

  • Monday, December 31, 2012
  • Elder of Ziyon
Let's see:

Zionist international banking cartel controls the US economy:

The United States impending financial crisis - dubbed “fiscal cliff” - is nothing more than political theater to keep Americans subordinate, an analyst tells Press TV.
---
Zionist regime practising Nazi-style occupation policies

Many of Israel’s dominant political parties espouse [Nazi] goals for Zionism, which many observers believe take a page from the Nazi playbook when it comes to expansion not only in the occupied territories of Palestine but beyond to the Golan Heights of Syria, southern Lebanon, Sinai, eastern Libya, northern Iraq, and even further afield.
---
Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Hassan Firouzabadi said on Saturday that the US and Zionist regime are behind the Syrian crisis.
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Zionists, Saudis exacerbate Shia-Sunni divide
The United States along with Israel have partnered with Saudi Arabia to spread division among Muslims in the Middle East, a prominent political analyst tells Press TV.
---
Nice to see everything is normal!
  • Monday, December 31, 2012
  • Elder of Ziyon
  • ,
Life in Gaza, from the Gaza NGO Safety Office:

18 DEC, 0900hrs: Massive demos. will be organized at 1000hrs near UNSCO office, GC, in support of Pal. prisoners. NGO staff advised to avoid the area.

20 DEC, 1000hrs: A sit-in will be organized at 1100hrs in front of UNSCO office, GC. NGO staff advised to avoid the area.

26 DEC, 0900hrs: Palestinian prisoners Association will organize a demo. at 1100hrs in front of UNDP office in GC in support of Pal. prisoners. NGO staff advised to avoid the area.

30 DEC, 1100hrs: A demo. is to be organized in front of UNSCO office, GC, in solidarity with Pal. prisoners. NGO staff advised to avoid area.

31 DEC, 0845hrs: Islamic Jihad will organize a demo. on 1000hrs starting from Palestine Square through Omar Al Mokhtar Street toward ICRC office, GC, in support of Pal. prisoners. NGO staff advised to avoid the area.

31 DEC, 1100hrs: Fatah supporters are holding a demo. starting from Al Azhar University toward Al Saraya compound, GC. NGO staff advised to avoid the area.
If the protests are so peaceful, what are the NGO staff - people who are there to help Gazans - afraid of?
  • Monday, December 31, 2012
  • Elder of Ziyon
From Ian:

Barry Rubin: A Paradox of U.S. Middle East Policy: The Friend Who Acts like an Enemy is an Enemy
"Yet given the current situation, especially in the Middle East, a realistic policy would make the enemies’ list seem too long and discouraging. In political and diplomatic terms that means the truth will be covered up. The important question is: How far does a country have to go, how futile and even counterproductive do the pay-offs have to be, before it is no longer treated as a friend."

Saturday people, Sunday people
“Saturday People, Sunday People” is the title of a new, mesmerizing book by Lela Gilbert, an adjunct scholar at the Hudson Institute and author of 60 books, including several on the widespread persecution of Christians in Muslim countries, a phenomenon that is reaching epidemic proportions with the rise of Islamic fundamentalism.

What Do Abbas's Latest Threats Really Mean? by Khaled Abu Toameh
"Why doesn't Abbas consider the possibility of handing the "keys" to another Palestinian? Abbas apparently believes that if he cannot lead the Palestinian Authority no one else should — that if he comes down, then the entire Palestinian Authority should also collapse. A changing of the guard is something that the US and the EU, the major funders of Abbas and his associates, could play a major role in bringing about."

Two-thirds of Israelis support peace with Palestinians that ensures security, polls find
"The public’s support of a peace agreement surged when the plan was upgraded to include certain “perks”, such as a defense alliance with the US, a demilitarization of Hamas in Gaza, the construction of a strong security fence along the border, and a pan-Arab readiness to establish full diplomatic relations with Israel. Both polls found that in those cases, over 75% of Israelis would be highly supportive of an agreement with the Palestinians."

Miracle Saves Baby from Rock-Throwing Terrorist
A rock-throwing Arab teen nearly killed a baby Sunday morning when the huge rock he hurled at the car crashed a few inches from the infant.

BBC Watch: BBC confuses armistice lines with borders yet again
"The BBC’s claim that a return to a “pre-1967 border” would “give Damascus control of the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee” is therefore inaccurate as the only border in existence prior to 1967 was the one agreed upon in 1923 by France and Britain which left access to the lake within the borders of Mandate Palestine."

CAMERA: Pat Buchanan Rants Against "Wolves" Opposing Hagel, Cites E 1 Canard
"Buchanan's latest rantings against "neocons" and "bellicose" Israelis and the "wolves" who want to throw Hagel overboard are a reminder that Buckley's moral leadership is sorely needed today."

French paper to publish comic book life of Muhammad
French magazine infamous for publishing Prophet Muhammad cartoons plans to release illustrated biography of Islam's founder

Thomas Friedman Op/Ed Generator
Because this is what his writing actually looks like.

PMW: Official PA daily: Be’er Sheva is a Palestinian city
“Palestinian Media Watch has reported in the past that the PA daily presents many Israeli cities and sites as parts of "Palestine." Lod, Acre, Tiberias, and even Tel Aviv have all been presented as "Palestinian" or "occupied" cities, as have places like Mount Carmel and Mount Meron.”

Australia's Grand Mufti meets Hamas
"AUSTRALIA'S Grand Mufti Ibrahim Abu Mohamed has met with the hierarchy of Hamas, the Palestinian party listed by the Gillard government as a terrorist organisation.
Dr Mohamed, who has been styled as a moderate since taking the top Australian Muslim post, last week expressed his happiness at being in Gaza, describing it as the land of pride and martyrdom."

Al-Qaeda puts gold bounty on head of Jewish US ambassador in Yemen
Terror group also offers some $23,000 to anyone who kills an American soldier

UN envoy estimates 100,000 Syrians could die in upcoming year
The ongoing war is ‘very, very bad’ Lakhdar Brahimi says, warning that the ‘situation is deteriorating’

Iran says Patriot batteries in Turkey meant to protect Israel
Tehran claims NATO-backed anti-missile system not being used to shield Turkey from Syrian civil war
“Iranian military officials believe that the reason for deploying NATO’s Patriot missiles in Turkey is to prevent Iran from responding to the Zionist regime [of Israel] if it attacked Iran,” spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said in Ankara Saturday, according to Iran’s state-run Press TV."

Libya church blast kills two Egyptians: embassy
An explosion rocked a Christian Coptic church near the western Libyan city of Misrata on Sunday, killing two people and wounding two others, all of them Egyptians, an Egyptian diplomat told AFP.

Preaching the gospel of liberalism to the Jordanian street
"Mudar Zahran, one of the leaders of his country’s burgeoning Dignity Revolution, says spring is in the air. And, he claims, a post-Hashemite Jordan will have huge implications for the Palestinians, who may be forced to choose — Western-style secular democracy or a government led by the likes of Hamas’s Khaled Mashaal "

CNN: IDF Use of Twitter One of “Top 12 Tech Stories of 2012″
"CNN ranked Israel’s use of micro-blogging site Twitter during the Jewish state’s recent Operation Pillar of Defense on its list of the “Top 12 Tech Stories in 2012,” for revolutionizing how involved parties communicate with each other during wartime."

Israel Launches Natural Gas Platform in Coveted Tamar Gas Field
“Natural gas will not only make electricity production more efficient, cleaner, and cheaper, it is a giant step toward freeing us from dependence on foreign energy sources, especially Arab oil,” said Israeli Infrastructures Minister Uzi Landau."

UN Watch: Moynihan’s Moment: the historic 1975 U.N. speech in response to “Zionism is Racism”
"On the occasion of the acclaimed new book “Moynihan’s Moment” by McGill University historian Gil Troy, we feature the historic 1975 speech delivered right after the U.N. declared that “Zionism is racism.” The resolution was repealed in 1991, but its spirit tragically lives on in the form of the U.N.’s enduring obsession with condemning Israel."

Plus, from Zvi:


The Shalom Hospital staff are "a light unto the nations" - restoring light, one pair of eyes at a time.
American President Barack Obama’s step-grandmother underwent emergency eye surgery in an Israeli-run hospital in Equatorial Guinea last week.
Sarah Onyango Obama, the president’s [grand]father’s third wife, lives in the remote Kenyan village of Nyang’oma Kogelo and suffered from an unspecified optical ailment.
Guinean Health Minister Tomas Mecheba Fernandez escorted the First Step-Grandmother to the hospital in advance of her surgery by a team of Israeli doctors.
The procedure was successful and Obama is making a full recovery, Yedioth Ahronoth reported on Sunday.
“All of Africa is talking about your hospital and of the fact that you don’t need to fly to Europe to get medical treatment,” said an enthusiastic Obama following her operation.The Shalom Hospital, located in the Guinean capital city of Malabo, was founded by Israeli entrepreneurs Yardena Ovadya and Ariyeh Horesh and is serviced by over 100 Israeli doctors, nurses and staff. The hospital provides medical treatment for underprivileged residents of Equatorial Guinea and other neighboring African countries.
Sarah Onyango Obama is, incidentally, a Muslim. Those Israelis really "hate Muslims", eh?
It is wonderful to read about Mrs. Obama's joy and her enthusiasm for Shalom Hospital. It is also wonderful to see that this was an occasion for Guinea's health minister to pay an official visit to the hospital and meet the Israeli doctors. This example of pure good news stands in stark contrast to the mindless hatred radiating from the ANC in South Africa, which has officially endorsed Bigotry and Double Standards and which has thereby officially raised the stakes in the campaign to obliterate Israel.
Jordanian civilians living near the border with Syria reported heavy clashes between the Jordanian and Syrian armies late Saturday night, during which the Syrian army allegedly crossed the border and used attack helicopters.
ROME (AP) — Rita Levi-Montalcini, a biologist who conducted underground research in defiance of Fascist persecution and went on to win a Nobel Prize for helping unlock the mysteries of the cell, died at her home in Rome on Sunday. She was 103 and had worked well into her final years.
Rome Mayor Gianni Alemanno, announcing her death in a statement, called it a great loss “for all of humanity.” He praised her as someone who represented “civic conscience, culture and the spirit of research of our time.”
Italy’s so-called “Lady of the Cells,” a Jew who lived through anti-Semitic discrimination and the Nazi invasion, became one of her country’s leading scientists and shared the Nobel medicine prize in 1986 with American biochemist Stanley Cohen for their groundbreaking research carried out in the United States. Her research increased the understanding of many conditions, including tumors, developmental malformations, and senile dementia.
Dr. Levi-Montalcini conducted some of her early research at home while hiding from the Nazis. In 1947, she was invited to the US, where she remained for 20 years before returning home to become director of the laboratory of cell biology of the National Council of Scientific Research in Rome. She was awarded the Nobel Prize for medicine in 1986, together with her collaborator Stanley Cohen. She was one of Italy's most admired women.
Dr. Levi-Montalcini visited Israel's Technion early in 2012 as a show of support for Israel against those who would promote BDS in Europe.
Ms. Levi-Montalcini remained actively involved in scientific research until the end of her life.
The world is much poorer for the loss of this remarkable woman, but her life and work have been a blessing for all humankind.
  • Monday, December 31, 2012
  • Elder of Ziyon
The semi-official Fatah newspaper Palestine Press reports that Palestinian Arab leaders are blaming the US for the fact that Arab nations are not fulfilling their monetary pledges to the PA.

According to this bizarre logic, the US was so upset at the Arab support for the UN vote to upgrade the status of "Palestine" to a non-member state that it has been punishing Arab nations for their vote. This in turn is forcing the Arab nations to renege on their promises to send hundreds of millions of dollars to the PA.

They quote Deputy Secretary-General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Abdel Rahim Mallouh, a member of the Executive Committee of the PLO, as saying that there is American pressure exerted on the Arab countries to create a "siege" of the Palestinian Authority and to choke the Palestinian people financially.

Ahmad Assaf, spokesman for Fatah, says that Arab leaders were supposed to visit Ramallah to pledge their financial support to the PA but changed their minds, and he has heard that this was because of pressure from the United States. He says that Arab nations have not sent any money over for two months.

Secretary General of the Palestine Liberation Front and member of the Executive Committee of the PLO, Dr. Wasel Abu Yousef, claims that the US and Israel are imposing an economic blockade on the "Palestinian state," and prevented the Arab countries and donor countries from supporting the Palestinians financially, saying that these countries bowed to U.S. pressure. And that the US supports Israel building homes in the West Bank.

None of them have quite explained why Arab nations have been reneging on their pledges to the PA for years before the UN vote. Now that they can find a way to blame the US, they can pretend that their Arab brethren give a damn about their cause, despite all evidence to the contrary.

The funny thing is that even their Arab friends are not willing to tell them, straight out, that the decisions of Palestinian Arab leaders themselves is what has led to the disillusionment by their Arab brethren. They could have accepted peace plans in the past but instead started a terror war against Israel which paved the way for Hamas' ascendancy among their people.

The Arab leaders see things quite clearly, and they do not want to throw more money into a leadership that has zero ability to lead.


  • Monday, December 31, 2012
  • Elder of Ziyon
  • Monday, December 31, 2012
  • Elder of Ziyon
Egyptian media have been in a non-stop uproar since Muslim Brotherhood leader Essam el-Erian said last week that Jews who lived in Egypt should be allowed to return in the context of allowing Israel to become a Palestinian Arab state.

People from politicians to football coaches have been criticizing Erian for even considering allowing Jews into Egypt. The leader of the Salafist Nour party said his statements were "not acceptable for any sane person."

Erian tried to clarify his comments. he said that in ten years, after the "libration of Palestine," there will be no Israel anymore, and Israeli Jews would have no place to live. He is claiming his remarks were in that context. Erian added that he said his statements to help bring peace; as Jews leaving Israel would allow room for Palestinian Arabs to move there.

He also said that Nasser didn't expel the Jews but that they left on their own after the 1956 war.

As far as the criticism that a return of Jews to Egypt would open up the nation to potential lawsuits of billions of dollars for Jews whose property was confiscated, Erian replied that (of course) the West would bankroll the return of Jews to Egypt and pay all of the potential legal claims.

  • Monday, December 31, 2012
  • Elder of Ziyon
From Al Arabiya:
A nun sounded the alarm that the Syrian conflict was becoming sectarian when she said that a Christian man was beheaded by Syrian rebels in the northern town of Ras al-Ayn on the Turkish border, and his body was fed to dogs, a British newspaper reported Monday.

Sister Agnes-Mariam de la Croix speaking from her sanctuary in Lebanon said the newlywed taxi driver, Andrei Arbashe, was kidnapped after his brother was heard complaining that the rebels fighting against beleaguered President Bashar al-Assad were behaving like bandits, The Daily Mail reported.

The 38-year-old Arbashe, who was soon to be a father, was found headless by the side of the road, surrounded by hungry dogs, Sister Agnes-Miriam, who is mother superior of the Monastery of St James the Mutilated, added.

“His only crime was his brother criticized the rebels, accused them of acting like bandits, which is what they are.”

...The 60-year-old nun condemned Britain and the West for supporting anti-Assad fighters in spite of growing evidence showing human rights violations committed by them. She listed murder, kidnapping, rape and robbery as rising crimes.

“The free and democratic world is supporting extremists,” Sister Agnes-Miriam said from her sanctuary in Lebanon. “They want to impose Sharia Law and create an Islamic state in Syria.”
I forget - are we supporting the cut-throat genocidal dictator or the Islamist beheaders?
  • Monday, December 31, 2012
  • Elder of Ziyon
Mahmoud Abbas' latest empty threat to dissolve the PA as a pathetic attempt to strengthen his negotiating position has boomeranged on him.

Moussa Abu Marzouk, deputy head of Hamas' "political bureau," responded to the threat today by saying that if Abbas is so unwilling to lead, Hamas is more than ready to take over the onerous job of leadership.

Marzouk asked, "Why would [Abbas] want to hand power over to Netanyahu?" He said that if he would give control to Hamas then there would be a successful "reconciliation" (with Hamas controlling all of the PalArab territories). He also noted that while Abbas was saying this, Hamas was basking its its "victory" over Israel.

Abbas showed yet again that his leadership abilities are nil, and his pathetic attempt to use threats as a substitute for leadership is only helping his political rivals who will inevitably succeed him.



  • Monday, December 31, 2012
  • Elder of Ziyon
UNRWA stands for the "United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East."

In the early days of UNRWA in the 1950s, a large part of its mandate was to work with Middle Eastern nations to find jobs for the refugees, the "Works" part of its title. UNRWA worked on some projects to build roads in Jordan and to create and market small handicrafts in 1950; and in 1953 they created a farming cooperative in Jordan for the refugees. In general, however, Arab nations did not support these works programs because they did not want to do anything to make the Palestinian Arab population permanent residents in their countries.

The refugees themselves also showed little interest in the programs because they were already getting free housing, medical aid, food and education from UNRWA.

By the late 1950s, UNRWA all but abandoned their attempts at finding decent, honorable work for the refugees, and the "W" in its name became anachronistic.

However, one accidental works program has become a "success," and that is employment at UNRWA itself.

Some 99% of UNRWA employees are Palestinian Arabs themselves, meaning that UNRWA employs about 29,000 Palestinian Arabs. The employees and their families do not regard these jobs as normal work; rather they regard them as yet another entitlement that the West owes them.

Which is why when UNRWA announced it would not be renewing the contracts of some workers, the camps are in a virtual uprising.

As Ma'an reports today:
Popular committee heads in West Bank refugee camps on Sunday threatened more protests against the UN agency giving services to the camps.

They wrote to UNRWA operations director Felipe Sanchez over the cutbacks which the UN agency says is necessary due to a drop in aid.

Protests have blocked off UNRWA facilities in the West Bank several times in recent weeks, after the agency announced it is unable to renew the contracts of 114 employees.

The popular committee chiefs wrote to Sanchez: "Dialogue is the shortest ways to solve the current problem and in case you insist on your policy of turning your back to refugees, we will announce a whole strike in all camps."

UNRWA says the layoffs are the "best possible choice."

"We wanted to avoid harming our services as a result of budget limitations," the agency said in a statement last week.
UNRWA had a choice of what to do with its budget shortfall - cut off services or let some employees go. They chose, reasonably, to keep the same level of service and to trim some of the fat.

But the Palestinian Arabs are not only willing to engage in violent protests to keep the jobs of a small number of people - they are willing to ensure that the services themselves are disrupted!

To be sure, they have protested just as vehemently when there were even mere rumors of service cutbacks in the past. However, the degree of these protests over some hundred jobs shows that Palestinian Arabs not only regard free food, shelter and medicine as their right, but employment as well.

UNRWA has managed to create a third and fourth generation of people in "refugee camps" whose sense of entitlement is supreme. It is the ultimate welfare state. The idea that people should work hard to succeed is utterly foreign to people who only find a sense of urgency when they protest that they deserve more.

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This blog may be a labor of love for me, but it takes a lot of effort, time and money. For over 14 years and 30,000 articles I have been providing accurate, original news that would have remained unnoticed. I've written hundreds of scoops and sometimes my reporting ends up making a real difference. I appreciate any donations you can give to keep this blog going.

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